Migraine medication – simple or complex?
Migraine treatment is primarily based on abortive and preventive medication. When only a single abortive medication or at most one abortive medication is used, things are usually straightforward. Some migraine sufferers cannot use specific migraine medications due to side effects or contraindications from other illnesses. If several abortive medications are needed, for example, a specific migraine medication, an anti-nausea medication, an anti-inflammatory painkiller, and paracetamol, drug interactions start to emerge. For preventive medications, interactions are often found, and this applies particularly to new tablet-form anti-CGRP medications.
Medication overuse headache and usage limits
Additionally, abortive medications carry the risk of medication overuse headache. If ordinary anti-inflammatory painkillers or paracetamol are used, there should not be more than 14 days of use per month. For specific migraine medications, i.e., triptans, the limit is stricter, as usage days should remain below ten per month. Hopefully, no one is still using opiates (e.g., codeine) for acute migraine treatment.
